One Night
by Sephira jo
Summary: Another "White Reflections" Prequel. The night in the European Inn between Hwang and Mina. Sorry no lemon here, only WAFF.


Title: One Night. . .

Series: Soul Calibur

Rating: PG (contains lang. And serious WAFFY feelings and a little romance/fantasy, but nothing worthy of a PG13, trust me.)

Author: Sephira jo (contact: sephirajo@yahoo.com)

Pairing: Hwang/Mina

Archive: With permission only.

Warnings: WAFF, but not much else. No one even gets naked. Makes me wonder why I'm writing this. *snigger* Hehehe, no really, just waff, even I can't be a total perv all the time, after all, I *am* a woman, so a little romance is always a fun touch.

Disclaimer: I don't own Namco, Soul Calibur or any of the characters. If I did we can run under the assumption that all of the characters would then be permanently screwed in the worst sense of the word since I am a lover of dramatic angst. So there, ha ha, ha ha.

  


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Mina's eyes were wide as she wondered through the back alleys of the strange, foreign town. She hadn't even been aware that places like this existed before she had run away from home. _Runaway_. Mina flinched. Although at first she had thought of her misadventure as a grand quest, she was quickly forced to admit that her search for the Patriot Sword was not going through, and instead of proving herself worthy of the Costal Defense force as she hoped she had been beaten numerous times by opponents searching for the elusive sword of destiny. But at least in her travels she was able to see different places, learn different languages, at least a little bit.

But still, she was lonely and in all her searching all she had been able to find out about the Patriot Sword is it was also called the Soul Edge, and was seamanly in possession of a pirate, whom many clammed was either immortal or the devil descended to earth. Mina snorted, an immortal pirate was a child's tale, and if she wanted a child's tale she could've stayed in Korea where her father wove many tales that made more sense than the half whispered, badly translated rumors she had managed to string together.

_If nothing else,_ she thought to herself, trying to cheer herself up, _at least I got to enjoy the scenery._ The buildings, clothing, and everything else here was so different, so bizarre, that at first Mina hadn't been sure what to make of them. She still didn't fully understand everything, but she knew that soon she'd have to head in the general direction of home. Home to her father. Home to Hwang.

Hwang. . . Mina blushed and covered her mouth with one hand. As she traveled, she found her thoughts on the chestnut eyed, brown haired fighter more and more. Sometimes she even fantasized that he would take her by the hand and smile, then hold her close in strong arms. Mina was ecstatic at the proposed match. Standing there, blushing like an idiot Mina almost slapped herself. _Moron! _ She thought, panic rising up out of nowhere, _How is Daddy going to make the rest of the arraignments if you aren't there! _She had to get home, right now, at her skill level the Patriot Sword was an impossibility, best to accept that now. But with more training under her father it could be within her reach. Another reason to head home. 

Mina stopped and leaned against a building wall, feeling her Scarlet Thunder press into her back, the best ways to get home were the many over land merchant trails, and merchants were always looking for bodyguards. There wasn't any reason she couldn't hire herself out to guard a caravan, against average fighters she could sweep through, even above average warriors would fall to her blade. It was just that everyone after the Soul Edge had been extraordinary, like Hwang.

Mina sighed and looked skyward, there were clouds overhead and the scent in the air promised rain. She smiled, closing her eyes. She wished she could see Hwang right now, practicing, even when warm rain fell. He was always outside practicing; his strong arms easily manipulating his sword in long, graceful motions. She smiled.

"Seung Mina," a voice out of nowhere intoned in perfect Korean, and Mina froze, "You have thirty seconds to explain to me why you aren't at home," The voice was even and calm. And as familiar to her as her own. 

"Hwang!" Mina shouted and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly while he just looked down at her like she had gone insane. And maybe she had, but at the moment she didn't care, "I'm so glad to see you! I missed you so much!" She practically sang, clinging to him. In the dreary European air he was so warm.

Hwang disengaged her arms from around his neck easily and Mina stared up at him, smiling widely, almost grinning like a fool, but she didn't care. "Why," he asked, keeping his voice even and steady as always, "are you here?"

Mina almost shrank a little under his gaze; he almost seemed angry with her. Well, she was thousands of miles from home, and not even her father knew where she was . . . so she could almost understand that. "I. . .uh," Mina started, looking for the right words, ". . .uh, I was looking for the Patriot Sword, so they'd let me join the Costal Defense with you. It's so stupid that I can't go because I'm a girl. And Daddy will never let me unless I prove myself, and then it just seemed like an amazing adventure when Daddy was telling you about it. . ." Hwang raised an eyebrow and Mina shut up, all of a sudden aware of not only the fact she was rambling, but that she was standing awfully close to the large swordsman. She blushed and tried to place together a few more words, "I guess, I just thought it would be fun to prove myself by finding the Patriot Sword," Mina finished lamely. All of a sudden staring down at the ground.

Hwang sighed and Mina felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked at Hwang's hand there blushing, unable to help the reaction, or how she felt warm all over when he touched her. "Come on," he said evenly, his voice calm and cool, oh how she envied him for that! "Let's get going."

"Going where?" Mina asked, shaking her thoughts clear as Hwang moved away from her, and started walking down the stone laden street.

Hwang stopped and looked back at her, what few emotions she could read in those wonderful brown eyes of his dancing in the fading light. He looked worried and Mina's smile fell. Hwang answered her in his eternally calm voice, "Home, Little Mina. Korea is at war."

Mina stopped in mid-stride and stared at him, "War?" she squeaked, her voice quiet. 

"Yes, war. So I want to get you and myself home as soon as we can. One of us has to fight," Hwang said, "of course, it's too late to catch a ship to China right now, so tonight we're staying in an inn, then heading back home."

Mina's thoughts raced. She liked Hwang, but it never occurred to her that he felt the same way about her, she blushed and her heart pounded in her chest with an odd mixture of both fear and excitement, "We're staying in an inn? Together?" she asked, her voice shaking, side effect of the raging storm of emotions vying within her.

Hwang must've mistaken her tone for straight anxiety, because instead of agreeing with her he smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, I wouldn't endanger your honor Little Mina, we'll get separate rooms," He turned and walked forward then and Mina had no choice but to follow, bitting her cheeks in frustration and making faces at the oblivious fighter behind his back. _Hwang, you idiot_, Mina thought, _if anyone were to 'endanger my honor' I'd want it to be you._ Following him, she muttered curses under her breath the whole way to one of the town's many, oddly fashioned inns. 

They knew it for what it was, because in the port town the sign advertised the building's purpose in so many languages that they had been able to decipher its meaning. Mina followed Hwang into the building, filling away bits and pieces of conversation that she could understand, she had learned enough of this country's speech to get the basic idea of what the people were talking about. Everyone seemed preoccupied with the story of that Immortal Pirate, Cervantes. It was amusing to listen to the stories that people shot back and forth to each other in frantic strains of speech. Skin the color of a dead man's, eyes like glass, power to kill you with just his gaze. _Or his smell,_ Mina thought, _all these people smell horrible, I'm beginning to think that no one here bathes._

Mina turned her attention to Hwang, who was trying to, almost frantically, explain something to the innkeeper. From what it sounded like on the innkeeper's end, she thought Hwang and Mina were married and had given Hwang the key to one room, not two. Mina smiled evilly as Hwang gestured back at her then to him frantically trying to explain to the elderly Innkeeper their relationship. Master's Daughter, he kept repeating, in useless Korean.

The Innkeeper just smiled, saying something along the line of how Hwang didn't have to be shy about his young bride. Of course, Hwang's pride kept him for asking Mina for help, if he even knew that she spoke enough of this tongue to ask for what he wanted. Mina saw no reason to inform him of that now, of course. It was much too amusing to watch a flustered Hwang finally lower his shoulders in defeat. He looked back at Mina and singled for her to follow him, and Mina, keeping her face as straight as possible, followed Hwang and the Innkeeper to their large, strangely styled bedroom.

Despite her few times in these inns before, Mina still couldn't get over how different the setup was. Instead of a comfortable futon, there were mattresses stuffed and laid out on wooden frames, covered in thick quilts. Skipping past Hwang, she sat Scarlet Thunder in a corner and smiling, jumped onto the large bed, the thick mattress bouncing beneath her weight. She smiled and look at Hwang, who was unloading various packs from his shoulders and resting Blue Storm on the floor. Right then he looked tired, and all too serious. Mina decided to break the silence, "So, did _you_ find it?" she asked, leaning forward, resting her hands on her knees, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

Hwang gave her a strange look out of the corner of his eye, "I was close," he said simply, "but then word reached me that Korea had been invaded, so I stopped."

"Oh," Mina said, and bitting her lip tried to think of something else to say.

"Why, how close did you get, Little Mina?" He asked, and Mina held back the face she felt like making at him. She hated that nickname with a passion, especially coming from him.

"All I found was a bunch of stupid ghost stories 'bout some stupid Pirate," Mina said, crossing her arms over her chest. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Hwang gave her another strange look and shook his head, "I got close, really close, and those 'stupid ghost stories' were more truth than you'd like to know."

Mina snorted. Undead pirates, what was next? Wizards? "Yeah right, no matter how powerful a sword is it doesn't make someone live forever."

Hwang just shook his head, and changed the subject, "So, you have Scarlet Thunder, eh? Does your father know you have that? Does he even know you're here?"

_Oh shit! _Mina thought not daring to break the stare that Hwang had locked her in. She hesitated as she tried to figure out how to answer, without much time to come up with a long story Mina said the first thing that popped into her mind, "Yes. Yes he does," She said evenly, crossing her arms even tighter around her and looking Hwang dead in the eyes, holding his chestnut gaze with her own.

Hwang stared at her a moment longer then sighed, before flopping down on the rug next to the large bed, "Great, I'm now the escort of a thief and a runaway," he turned away from her, resting on his side, facing the door. Blowing out the lamp the Innkeeper had brought with them, he plunged the room into darkness. "Go to bed, Mina."

"Why are you on the floor?" Mina asked, confused, true, this bed wasn't as comfortable as a futon, but sleeping on a threadbare rug was even worse.

"When we get home, I am going to have to explain to your father why you're with me, and the last thing I want to mention is a night spent in the sheets with his only daughter," Hwang said, his voice almost sounded exasperated. 

Mina sat quietly for a moment and could hear the rustle of Hwang's movement in the darkness, as he tried to make himself comfortable on the floor. Her arm dangled over the edge of the bed as she stared down. If she could crack him enough to make him sound miffed maybe she could find the wording to get him up on the bed. All she wanted to do was sleep anyway, and there shouldn't be a problem with that. And yet, Hwang, in one sentence had made a big deal of it. _So what,_ Mina thought irked,_ we're practically promised anyway. He shouldn't have to worry about Daddy._ Mina yawned, all of a sudden extremely tired. She muttered something under her breath as her eyes closed and she unintentionally drifted off to sleep.

  
  


Hwang listened to the sound of Mina's breathing as it evened out, indication that the hyperactive young woman had finally, and quickly, drifted off to sleep. He looked up at her as she lay on the unnaturally high bed, on arm dangling off the edge, the fabric of her brightly colored clothing with it's crimsons, blues and golds rising and falling with her breathing. Her almost endless supply of energy burned out.

Hwang had been shocked, to put it mildly, when he had seen Mina. At first he thought his eyes had been playing tricks on him that being so isolated had created the image of Seung Mina, leaning against the wall of a building, smiling, carefree. But when he had reached out and touched her, convinced she was no illusion, Hwang was both glad to see her, and suddenly angry. What had she been thinking, coming this far on her own? Why hadn't anyone gotten word to him, that the little minx had run off?

The fact that she survived this long though was a relief. There were numerous things that could happen to a woman traveling on her own, none of which Hwang wished to think about in connection with Mina. The fact that she was just as giddy and bubbly as ever was a testament that she had made it this far unscathed by some of the darker parts of the world. But that obviously didn't save her from fights, since she had made no move to hide the healing wounds that dotted her small body he found himself wondering how well she had handled herself. Since Mina would never have been able to stop talking about a win but would never mention a loss, he suspected she had experienced more of the latter. _Well, that little moron did take off after the Patriot Sword. _ Hwang thought, it was only natural that she'd come across people who had trained more than her; she, after all, was only sixteen.

Her straightforward nature had also made the lie that she had told him apparent. Had her father let her leave, and given her her inheritance early, she would've told him that right away. The slight hesitation, followed by the short answer had made her lie transparent. Although, in her situation, he could almost understand, if not forgive, the lie. After all, Mina was going to be in a fair amount of trouble when they made it home.

Hwang shook his head and trying to push the trouble maker out of his mind, settled down into the corse rug and flinched, wishing for the millionth time that he was better with learning other tongues. Mina had always been, but there had been no telling how long she had been in this area, so there was no way of telling how much she had picked up. _Of all the tongues she's learned, I wish I could teach her mine. . . _Hwang flinched, all the more reason he shouldn't be spending a night in the same room with Mina. His attraction to the young woman hand been high before, but now, after seeing her for the first time in months, she seemed even more beautiful. _This situation isn't good at all,_ Hwang thought miserably, _with these thoughts I shouldn't be in here with her._

Hwang released breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding in a drawn out sigh, before closing his eyes, he should at least attempt some sleep. It didn't help that ever time his eyes fell closed, his mind teased him with images of Mina, and various activities that could be pursued if he joined her atop the large, strangely styled bed.

He had almost drifted off to sleep, when there was a rustle of movement, then the feeling of someone settling next to him on the rug. Hwang's eyes shot opened and quickly focused on Mina, who had apparently awoken and decided to snuggle as close as she could to him, on the floor. Being as gentle as he could, he grasped Mina's shoulder and shook it shaking her out of her slumber induced haze. "Mina," he said tensely, the tightness in his voice coming from trying to control his body's and mind's various reactions, "Get back on the bed."

Mina shook her head, "If you're sleeping on the floor, so am I," she said defiantly, "After all, you don't have to sleep on the floor and you shouldn't have to worry about sleeping next to me, we are practically promised after all."

"Mina," he said, letting his ire, his frustration with himself, seep into his voice, "Back on the bed, now."

"Not without you, I'm not letting you sleep on the floor, Kyung," Mina said, using his first name. Hwang sighed inwardly, Mina was all but giving him an order. Knowing that neither of them would have a moments peace until she got her way, and not wanting to spend the rest of the night on the floor anyway, Hwang slowly stood up, drawing Mina to her feet as well. Clenching his jaw, he followed her underneath the heavy quilt and tried to keep his breathing stead and impassive as she snuggled closer, resting her head over his arm. _She has no idea what she's doing to me,_ Hwang thought, _no idea at all._

"There," Mina whispered sleepily, "Isn't this better, Kyung?" 

_NO! _ Hwang's mind shouted, while his body heartily agreed. Hwang grit his teeth and tried to convince himself that his body's reaction to Mina came from going to long without the comfort a woman could provide. But that wasn't the only reason. True, Master Seung had started going through the steps to arrange a marriage, but to be with her here, like this, was still tearing him apart.

He looked down at her face, smooth, winsome and angelic in the confines of sleep. Without thinking his free hand brushed at her hair, lightly grazing the smooth skin of her face. She murmured something in her sleep, wordless, and snuggled in closer. She _was_ precious, he realized, the revelation taking his breath away. She was precious to him, and she had been in danger, without him even knowing. If he had lost her. . .Hwang didn't know what he would do. But all of a sudden, the idea of life without Mina seemed wrong, somehow.

_Is this love? Do I love her?_ Hwang thought, staring at the smooth skin, the shining brown hair. He had the fleeting wish that she was awake, so he could enjoy the friendly, warm brown of her eyes as well. _She means so much to me. She's so much more to me than just my master's daughter._ Without thinking, Hwang wrapped his arm around and pulled her in close. There was so much in this world that could hurt her, or worse. She shouldn't have been out here, alone, where any one of these things could happen. Hwang resolved in that moment to protect her, to keep her safe from anything and everything.

Of course, that would mean leaving her as soon as they made it back to the dojo. The stories of what the Japanese did to Korean women when captured made Hwang have to suppress a shudder of revulsion. Mina needed to be protected, the painful, harsh world around them in all its cold realities kept away from her. Nothing would ever be allowed to take the light out of her eyes, if Hwang had any choice in it. _And once Korea at least is safe. I'll never leave your side again,_ Hwang thought, pressing his lips to her brow in a silent promise. Before sleep finally caught up with him as well he did something rare, he smiled. _I love you, Little Mina,_ he thought before, caught up in the warmth of both their bodies he joined her in sleep.


End file.
